Construction of vessels



(No Model.)

G. M. GATLIN.

UONSTRUUTION 0F VESSELS.

No. 344,622.l Patented June 29, 1886.

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TaTns UNITED CHARLES Mi GATLIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

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.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,622, dated June 29, 1886.

Application filed December 14, 1885. Serial No. 185,543. (No model.)

To all whom, it '1n/qty concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. GATLIN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction in the hulls of vessels; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, andV pointed out in the appended claims.

The vessel herein illustrated as embodying my invention is circular in crosssectional forni, and is provided with a propelling-gear however, the hull may be of other shape, and

any other propelling mechanism may be eniployed, as found desirable or convenient.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure l is a side View of a vessel constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion thereof being shown in central section, to illustrate features of construction in the hull. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section through the part of the hull taken upon line x x of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail section of parts shown in Fig. 2, taken upon line x x of said figure. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View illustrating the construction of the several layers of material composing the hull. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail cross-section of a part of the hull, taken upon line yyof Fig. l.

In the particular embodiment of my invention herein illustrated, A indicates the main portion or hull of avessel, which is in its general form circular in cross-section, and tapered tween the outer surface ot' the hull and the inl ner surface of the shells, with their axes generally parallel with the central longitudinal axis of the hull, and said shells may be actuated by suitable driving-gear constructed as shown in the said prior patent, or otherwise, as found convenient or desirable. The revolving shell B extends over the middle part of the hull, and the shells B B21 are located adjacent to the bow and stern, the uncovered spaces or zones A A2 being left between the ends of the shells B B B2 at whichthe hull itself is exposed, and forms the outer surface of the vessel, the said parts A Alz being made iiush with the outer surfaces of the tubular shells, and provided with windows a a, and with horizontal decks A3, for supporting suitable pilot or deck houses, A4, as fully set forth in said prior application.

rIhe framework or skeleton of the hull proper is formed by means of main circular or circumferential ribs or frame-pieces H H H2, intermediate lighter circular ribs, I I', and longitudinal frame-timbers K, extending from end to end of the vessel, and attached to the ribs H H II2 and I -I at their points of intersection with the latter. The ribs I-I are herein shown as located in the parts AA2 of the hull which are not covered by the revolving shells B B B, and the ribs I'I Il are located in the parts of the hull covered by the said shells. As herein shown, also, the ribs H and H2 form foundations or supports for troughshaped iron bands or ehannelbeams H3 H4, affording support for the rollers D. The intermediate ribs, I', are located in the parts of the hull beneath the revolving shell, between the main ribs H I-IZ, and the ribs I are placed in the parts A A2 of the hull, the said ribs I and the main ribs H in these parts of the hull being made considerably thicker diametrically than the ribs II, H2, and I, so as to bring the outer surface of the said parts A A2 flush with the outer surfaces of the several shells.

IOO

' said sheathing and -fianges The shells B B B2 are herein shown as constructed, generally, in the same manner as the main part of the hull, and as fully set forth in the said prior application. The outer sheathing or skin, O, of the hull proper is attached to the ribs H H H2 and I I, the longitudinal timbers K being attached to theinner faces of the said several ribs and supporting a second inner sheathing, O. Filling-pieces I2 are placed against the inner faces of the ribs I I and between the longitudinal beams K, to form additional supports to the said inner sheathing, O', and to additionally stiffen the frame. The outer skin or sheathing is preferably made in two thicknesses or layers, o o', the outer thickness, o,being niadeof nietal,and the inner thickness, o', of wood. The said inner layer, of, is coniposed of relatively shortsheathing boardsor p lanksfplaced at theirends in rabbets ,formed at theouter corner of the ribs I l", and arranged -to abutiagainstlthe side edges of thechannele beamsH H4, which latter are bolted- -or otherwise secu-red to theouter surface of themain ribs HH2, the said sheathing boards or planks bei ng arranged diagonally, as shown in Fig. 8,'so asto brace the parts ofthe frame and prevent anguf lar displacement therein.4 'Ihefinner sheathing, O', is also preferablylaid diagonal-ly,with the boards or planks thereof transverse tothose of the layer 0, the ends of the planks of Esaid sheathing being arranged to abu-t against the sidesl of athe mainv ribs H-H= H2, whereby the entire frame is provided `with'two layers'of inclined sheathi-ng running in opposite directions-With obvious advantages in giving stiff-y ness and Irigidity thereto. The outery metallic layer, o, of the outerfskin, O, is placed over the sheathing-planks of the layer O', and against the ribs I in the parts of the latter which" project outwardly between the rabbets z'. rlhe plates composing the outer layer-of the skin are preferably lapped over and secured vto mar-y ginal flanges h, formed upon the channel-ironsV HJ H4, said flanges h being made of the same Y thickness as the sheathing O', to enable/the plates of lthe outerskin-to be laid fiat over the The main frame pieces or ribsHI-I' H2 may be-constructed in any familiar or suitable manner, said ribs, as herein shown,being ymade up of a series of layers, 7L', of bent Wood, together with metal v strips h2, which project; atftheir edges vbeyond the sides ofthe wooden layers,

so as to form iianges forthe attachment of the sheathing or skin-2O o. The `metal vstrips-h2 parts of lthe ribslb'eing cut out or notched to per- Init Athe-passage ofthe longitudinal beams K.

Inf the'parts A A2 of the hull in fwhich-the A 1 ribs Hand I are constructedto sustain the` outer-skin iiush `with the outside of the tubular shells, as before set forth;- th'e inner sheathing, o', ,ofi the outer skim-0, is desirably con-.

clearlyshown in Fig. 2. rllheinner sheathing,

O, is intended more especially as a means of bracing the frame,and to form water-tight com- Y7ov partments between the frame-pieces ofthe hull. A third layer or inner sheathing, O2, may, if desired, be'laid inthe lower part of the hull, upon the inner surfaces of the ribs H H H2, supporting-pieces I2 in such case being placed upon the ribs I I to sustain said inner sheath ing. The said inner sheathing,02,when present, obviously prevents the direct contact of the load with the sheathing O', and forms a space to receive leakageV or bilge water.

A practicallyv water-tight joint is herein shown as formed between the hull and the ends of the shells by means of a flange, ZJ, upon the shell, Fig. 2, which enters a groove formed by the marginal part of theouter metal sheathing Iandfth'e cylindric-iiange b,attached :to `the rib `H=inside ofthe iiange b, as fully set forthlin the said ipriorapplication. In fthe particular Vessel herein shown the portionsQQof the bow-andstern'forwardf; and fat-the rear ofthe tubular shells B B2, instead of being made in the same manner as the remainder of the hull, are of lighter construction, the ends-ofthemain part of the hull be- 'ing closed by transverse walls or bulk-heads, so-,that incase the said lighterl end parts ofthe vessel become injured or detached by collision or otherwise the main part of the vessel will iiioat; and its safety will not be endangered.

In--thfe particular constructionv of thef parts :illustrated the several longitudinal timbers K yofthe hull fterminate ina circular metal beam, It, to which is attached a suitable wallor bulkhead ,15, supported internally by suitable transfverse beams, l, Figs. landv. The said -Wall or bulk-head ispreferably arrangedfin Ethe saniefplanewith theendfaces or edges ofthe tubular shells B B2, and'in order to prevent access of 'water to the space between theshells 'and hull 'at this point each shell isfprovided 'with an inwardly-projecting metal lflange, b4, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The partsQ Qoi lthe hull may be constructed linl anyzdesired or preferred nianner,said parts, ashereinshown, being constructed with transverse ribs g and horizontal timbers q', and provided with iiatdeck-s Q2, and attached to the main part of the hull by extending the timbers Qq( through-the bulk-head 15- and securing them tothe main ribs-H H4, adjacent tothe bow and stern of the vessel. The bulk-heads Fare-de` sirably provided with openings q2,whereby acicess may be had to the decks-ofthe parts Q Q', saidf openings being provided with suitable `doo-rs or: shntterawhereby they maybe-seeurelyclosed Ein caseV of necessity.

Itfis entirely obvious that the general ifea- .tures of construction herein shown.' andfdescribedniayv-be applied to the hfullsof vessels 'which are of otherthan circular form,v and my invention, as setfforth in-th'e appended claims, -is'not therefore limited to anyzparticular form in the vessel, but said vclaims are intended 'to cover the features of construction therein IOO IIO

set forth when said features of construction are applied to vessels of the form` commonly used, as Well as to vessels made circular, as herein shown, or otherwise.

The features of construction herein claimed are shown and described but not claimed in the prior application, Serial No. 173,818, hereinbefore mentioned.

I claim as my inventionl. A vessel constructed with parallel ribs, as I, and longitudinal beams K, and having an outer skin, O, consisting of an inner layer, o', of planks, held at their ends in rabbets in the outer faces of the ribs, and an outer layer, o, extending over the said planks and ribs, substantially as described.

2. A vessel constructed with parallel ribs, as I, and longitudinal beams K, and having an outer skin,O,comprising alayer, o', of planks, placed diagonally with reference to the ribs, and an inner skin, O', consisting of planks, also laid diagonally with reference to the ribs, and arranged transversely to the planks of the layer o', substantially as described.

3. A vessel constructed with parallel main ribs, as H, and intermediate ribs, as I, and longitudinal beams K, having an outer skin, O, comprisingr an inner layer, o', of planks, arranged diagonally, and secured at their ends in rabbets in the outer surfaces of the intermeto the said main ribs, and an inner skin, O',

consisting of planks, also arranged diagonally and transverse to the planks of the layer o', and constructed to abut against the said main ribs, substantially as described.

4. The con1bination,With the main part of a vessel tapered from its middle toward its ends, and terminating at a point short of the bow or stern with a transverse wall or bulk-head forming a closed end or ends to the said main part,of separate bow or stern parts, as Q or Q', attached to the said main part, substantially as described.

5. The combinatiomwith the main part ofa vessel tapered from its middle toward its ends, and terminating at points short of the bow or stern With atransverse Wall orbulkdiead forming a closed end or ends to the said main part, said main part being provided With main transverse ribs H I-I' and suitable longitudinal timbers, of separate bow or stern parts, as Q Q', attached to the said main part by means of timbers q', extending through the said bulkhead and secured to the said main ribs H' H', substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

oHARLns M. GATLIN.

Vitnesses:

C. GLAnENcE POOLE, M. E. DAYTON. 

